Legislative

The form and link below can be used to find out more about
where your elected officials stand on our legislation including their voting record as well as how to contact them to help move our agenda through the legislature.

The Gourmet Bottle Bill

Before passage of the Gourmet Bottle Bill, Alabama was the only state that restricted the size of bottled or canned beer
to no more than 16 oz. Starting in 2011, Free the Hops began introducing the Gourmet Bottle Bill
to raise the limit to 25.4 oz.

On May 16, 2012, Governor Bentley signed the Gourmet Bottle Bill into law, and it goes into effect on August 1, 2012. This allows for many high-end,
gourmet beers in Alabama that are only bottled in these larger container sizes. This legislation was also supported by Alabama's rapidly growing brewing industry
as well as the Alabama Wholesale Beer Association.

The Brewery Modernization Act

After passage of the Gourmet Beer Bill in 2009, Free the Hops decided to focus on brewery and brewpub reform. The intent of our legislation is to make it easier and more profitable to open and operate a brewery in Alabama.

On June 9, 2011, Governor Bentley signed the Brewery Modernization Act into law. This completed our second legislative agenda for reforming Alabama's beer laws.

2010 Voting Records

The Gourmet Beer Bill

Before passage of the Gourmet Beer Bill. the alcohol by volume (ABV) in beer sold and brewed in Alabama was limited to 6%. The first agenda for Free the Hops was to increase that limit to 13.9% ABV, thus allowing a wide variety of new craft beers to enter the market.

On May 22, 2009, Governor Riley signed the Gourmet Beer Bill into law. This completed our first legislative agenda for reforming Alabama's beer laws. In order to become law, the bill needed to pass a BIR (Budget Isolation Resolution) with a 3/5 supermajority and a final passage vote with a simple majority in both chambers of the state legislature and be signed into law by the Governor.

2009 Voting Records

May 22 | Executive Signature:---Signed into lawMay 14 | AL Senate on Final Passage:19-9PassedApr 28 | AL Senate on BIR:16-8PassedMar 3 | AL House on Final Passage:46-37PassedMar 3 | AL House on BIR:57-31Passed